Combined brush and mop



Jan. 31, 1956 F. A. GESELL ET AL 2,732,574

COMBINED BRUSH AND MOP Filed Nov. l5, 1949 United States Patent O COMBINED BRUSH AND MOP Frank A. Gesell, Belleville, N. I., and Edwin N. Woistmann, Buffalo, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation Application November 15, 1949, Serial No. 127,281

Claims. (Cl. 15-115) This invention relates to mop devices, and more particularly to a mop device of the type havingA a cleaning element of generally circular sectional 'form such as is useful for example in connection ywith the cleaning of toilet bowls and other special uses.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved round head type mop device comprising l-amina of blocks of sponge-like material relatively arranged in novel manner. n

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel mop of improved cleaning characteristics which is adapted to be inexpensively manufactured and which is simple and rugged in its construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of the one form of the mop of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough, on a larger scale, showing the parts in disassembled relation;

Fig. 3 is a View corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing the relative disposition of parts when the mop is in finally assembled condition;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section showing a modified form of the mop construction; and

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Figs. 3 and 4, but showing a still further modified form of the mop construction of the invention.

Figs. l, 2, 3, illustrate the mop construction of the invention to comprise a head plate member which may be formed of metal or plastic or other suitable material, and is molded so as to include a somewhat concave undersurface portion 11 and a handle receiving socket portion 12. The plate is centrally perforated so as to receive a locking bolt 13 therethrough, and a handle member 14 is furnished with a iiatted end portion 15 which is similarly apertured so that when the mop is lassembled locking bolt 13 also detachably fixes the handle portion 14 to the mop head. A wing nut 16 is furnished for convenience in assembly of the mop structure.

The cleaning element portion of the mop structure comprises a'pack of blocks of sponge-like material 20, such as may be formed of synthetic sponge material sometimes known as regenerated cellulose, or sponge rubber or natural sponge, or any other suitable material. In any case the sponge blocks are illustrated to be of circular plan form so as to conform to the circular plan form of the head plate 10; although the sponge blocks 20 are preferably dimensioned so as to extend laterally in all directions beyond the edge of the head plate 10 so as to cushion the latter against marring contacts with furniture or the like. The sponge blocks 20 are centrally apertured to receive the bolt 13, and thus it will be appreciated that when the assembly of Fig. 2 is finally operated upon so as to force the bolt 13 upwardly through the sponge blocks and thence into the head plate and handle devices for locking engagement with the wing nut, the sponge blocks 20 will be centrally compressed and 2,732,574 Patented Jan. 31, 1956 ICC pulled upwardly into the configurations illustrated by Fig. 3 so that the head of the bolt 13 becomes thereby deeply embedded Within the sponge structure. This disposes the sponge 4block laminations to extend edgewise in radial directions as viewed in Fig. 3, whereby to present to the surface to be cleaned a smoothly shaped rounded cleaning element having sponge blocks edgewise disposed thereto so as to provide an improved absorbing and squeegee action. At the same time, all metal or relatively hard portions of the mop structure are embedded within or retracted behind the relatively soft sponge material parts, and thus it will be appreciated that the mop device of the invention may be safety employed in connection with surfaces which might otherwise become scratched by contact with hard metal parts.

Fig. 4 illustrates another form of mop construction of the invention wherein the head plate 30 is formed of wood and is centrally bored to receive a wood screw 32 which is arranged to penetrate the central portions of sponge blocks 34 and to centrally compress the latter so as to draw them up against the end plate 30, as in the manner of the action of the bolt 13 in the assembly of Figs. 1 3. in the case of Fig. 4 a handle device in the form of a wooden stick 36 is illustrated as being assembled relative to the head plate 30 by means of the same screw 32, and series of bristles 38 are illustrated to be arranged to extend radially around the edge of the head plate 30 so as to enable the device to be used for both scrubbing and mopping purposes. Thus, it will be appreciated that the bristles tufts 38 may be conveniently mounted upon the head plate 30 by simply boring the latter radially around the edges thereof so as to provide sockets into which the tufts of bristles 38 may be embedded. Thus, it will be appreciated that the construction of Fig. 4 comprises a mop device wherein the sponge block members outwardly define a spherical type surface and are tightly clamped upon the head plate 3f) by means of a very simple connection device; and whereby the sponge blocks are deformed into a foliate type form-ation with the edges thereof disposed to fan out in radial directions as viewed sectionally of the device to provide an improved mopping and squeegee action.

Fig. 5 illustrates a still further modification of the mop construction of the invention. In the case of Fig. 5 the mop comprises simply a handle device 40 which may be constructed of wood or plastic or the like and which is arranged at one end thereof so as to receive a screw 42. Between the end of the handle 4l) and the head of the screw 42 is disposed a paca of sponge blocks 44 of material of the type referred to hereinabove, and it will be understood that as the screw 42 is driven into the end of the handle 4t) it centrally compresses the sponge blocks so as to firmly lock the latter in position upon the end of the handle 40 and so as to surround the latter with a spherical or ball-shaped mopping element comprising sponge blocks deformed into foliate form and having their edge portions facing radially thereof. Thus, this mop device is adapted to be used as a swab or other scrubbing and mopping device whereupon the sponge layers will readily adapt themselves and conform to irregularly shaped surfaces to be cleaned and will scrub the latter with a combination mopping and squeegee action; and it will be appreciated that the above features and advantages are obtained through use of a greatly simplified and inexpensively manufactured mop construction.

Although only a few forms of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A mop comprising: a rigid head plate member; a handle extending from said plate member; -a plurality of normally flat plan view circul-arly shaped blocks of porous, liquid-absorbing material resilient when Wet, relatively arranged in superposed relation to provide a cleaning element; and a fastening device penetrating each of said blocks centrally thereof and engaging said plate member to lock said blocks into engagement therewith; the block adjacent said plate member extending laterally beyond the edge portion thereof and said fastening device compressing substantially only the central portions of said blocks whereby the edge portions thereof are disposed to extend radially from said fastening device and dene a cleaning element surface of rounded form enclosing the portion of said fastening device passing through said blocks.

2. A mop as set forth in claim l, together with a series of bristles extending laterally from said plate member for cooperating with said cleaning element in the scrubbing operation of said mop.

3. A mop as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plate member has an under surface of concave form, and said fastening device extends through said plate member for securing said handle thereto.

4. A mop construction comprising: a handle device; a plurality of normally at blocks, circularly shaped in plan view, of porous, liquid-absorbing material resilient when wet, relatively -arranged in superposed relation; and a fastening device penetrating and compressing each of said blocks centrally thereof and engaging one end of said handle device to compress the central portion of said blocks tightly thereagainst; whereby said blocks are distorted to provide a ball shaped cleaning element body with the edge portions of said blocks extending radially from said one end of said handle device and defining a spherical cleaning surface.

5. A mop construction comprising: a handle device; a plurality of normally at, plan view circularly shaped blocks of porous, liquid-absorbing material resilient when moist, relatively arranged to provide a cleaning element; and means including a fastening device penetrating each of said blocks centrally thereof and engaging one end of said handle device locking said blocks thereto; said fastening device compressing substantially only the central portions of said blocks to an extent whereby the edge portions of said blocks extend generally radially outwardly in foliate relation from said one end of said handle device and define a cleaning element surface of generally hemispherical form extending beyond said one end of said handle device and enclosing the end of said fastening device remote from said one end of said handle device.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 99,557 Gillette Feb. 18, 1870 654,231 Dabb July 24, 1900 719,383 Shych Jan. 27, 1903 1,100,367 Gambill June 16, 1914 1,468,122 May Sept. 18, 1923 1,502,148 Magaton July 22, 1924 1,819,800 Turner Aug. 18, 1931 1,984,154 Pilato Dec. 11, 1934 2,266,427 Levy-Hawes Dec. 16, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 390,630 France Aug. 3, 1908 

